Ross Ohlendorf was hit hard in his first start back from the Disabled List. Milwaukee was aided by an error from Ryan Doumit in a seven run fourth inning and got another solid effort against Pittsburgh from Marco Estrada.
Ohlendorf stranded two in the first inning before running into serious trouble in the second. Milwaukee sent eleven men to the plate and scored seven times. Yuniesky Betancourt double to start the inning. Jerry Hairston Jr singled him to third. Jonathan Lucroy’s flair into shallow right plated Betancourt. Estrada’s sac bunt attempt was chucked into right field well over the head of Neil Walker who was covering at first. Hairston scored and Milwaukee had men at second and third. With one out, Nyjer Morgan singled up the middle for the third run of the inning. Ryan Braun followed with a double off the wall that scored two more. Casey McGehee capped the scoring with two out, two run blast over the left field wall.
Ronny Cedeno helped the Pirates get on the board in the third. He singled to lead off and moved up a base on a sac bunt from Ohlendorf and a ground ball out from Jose Tabata. He scored on a single from Xavier Paul.
The Brewers loaded the bases in the fourth inning with a single by Morgan, another double from Braun and an free pass to Prince Fielder. Ohlendorf got out of the jam shallow fly ball from McGehee and a double play ball from Betancourt.
Josh Harrison lofted his first career homer into the left field bleachers to lead off the fifth inning.
Milwaukee kept pounding away. They added to their 7-2 lead in the sixth off of Daniel McCutchen. Braun walked and scored on a double by Fielder. In the eighth against Chris Resop, Morgan singled and eventually scored on a sac fly from McGehee.
Pittsburgh got two in the eighth against LaTroy Hawkins. Paul doubled and scored on Walker’s single. Garrett Jones tripled home Walker to make it 9-4. But Milwaukee got two more in the ninth against Resop as Morgan and Craig Counsell drove in runs, making the final count 11-4.
Estrada did not walk anyone and gave up seven hits while striking out two in seven innings. Ohlendorf yielded seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out three.
The Good
Bucs had eleven hits including three from Cedeno and two each from Walker and Paul.
The Bad
Ohlendorf struggled.
Doumit’s error in the second helped open the floodgates.
Buc hitters didn’t walk.
The Rest
Ohlendorf falls to 2-3 against the Beer Makers. Estrada has beaten Pittsburgh twice in the last two weeks for both of his career decisions against the Buccos.
Fielder’s RBI gives him an even 100 on the year. This is the fourth career 100 RBI season for him.
This was Cedeno’s first three hit game of 2011 and the 14th time in his career he has had three or more safeties in a game.
Morgan had a four hit game for the first time since 6/25/10. This was his fifth career four hit game and his first as a Brewer.
Hawkins had not allowed a run since July 21st. That covered a span of eleven outings and 11-1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh has drawn zero walks in four games this year.
